For 82-year-old Harley Swan, Jr. (2nd generation), herding and milking the Holstein and Brown Swiss cows on the Swan Brothers Dairy Farm in Claremore, Okla., is not just a job. It is his benefaction towards the 90-year legacy left by his dad Harley Swan, Sr. Twice a week and during vacations, Harley Jr., herded the cattle to the milking station for its daily 300 gallon production of wholesome goodness, Grade A raw milk.
“I have been doing this all my life and I cannot see myself not doing this. I will keep doing this until I can’t do it anymore,” avowed Harley Jr. “My dad started this farm with one cow in 1923. From there, it grew. My brother Larry Swan and I purchased it in 1962 and then I bought the entire operation. Larry still helps out.” Larry, 72, enjoys the connection to the herd.
While in the preparation stalls, the teats are automatically sprayed with a warm hygiene solution. The milking stations are sanitized before and after a cow enters or leaves. After the cows enter the milking parlor, they eat high-grade feed while the teats are hand washed with the hygiene solution and dried. The suctions are put on the teats and the milking process takes a few minutes. Once the milk letdown ceases, the suction cups are released, the teats are cleaned again and sprayed with iodine. This prevents mastitis, an infection of the teats, which can harbor bacteria. “We make sure everything is properly sanitized,” assured Harley Jr.
Diane Williamson, Harley Jr.’s daughter, stays focused on the 1,100 gallon cooling tank. “Once the milk cools, we will fill, seal and store the jugs in the cooler. We sold 2,100 gallons last week of whole, 2% and skim milk. We sell out of the cream often; everyone knows to get here early if they want it.” There are two calving seasons, which slows down their milk production. “We have 20 cows out of 80 that will calve any day. We turn them dry about one month before birth. The colostrum is saved for the calves. Once the cows are giving milk it is put in the tank to bottle.”
In 1985 Swan began making varieties of cheeses: Cheddar, Colby and Mozzarella. Selective cheeses are available raw or pasteurized. “Once the cheese has been made, the raw cheese will age at least 60 days at 48-50 degrees and the other for 14 days at 40-42 degrees.”
The cows graze the property freely 365 days a year eating native prairie grass, free of pesticides and herbicides. “The cows are not given hormones, steroids or antibiotics and vaccinated/tested routinely. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Food & Forestry (ODAFF) routinely inspects the milk and cheese for continued safety,” said Diane.
“We test and look for a variety of concentrates in milk such as antibiotics, bacteria and somatic cells. Somatic Cell Count testing is performed on the raw milk and indicates the health of the herd. Standard Plate Count for retail purposes (pasteurized) must be under 20,000 per milliliter and for raw milk it must be under 100,000 per milliliter,” said Brian McDowell, Laboratory Supervisor for Dairy & Food Safety at ODAFF.
“We use the same federal standards and guidelines as the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) when testing all dairy farms,” said Stan Stromberg, Director of Food Safety Division for ODAFF. “Everything is checked from pathogens in the milk to the cooling temperatures of the milk and cheese, four out of every six months. We have a zero tolerance for bacteria.” If there is a continued violation, the business is de-listed and unable to sell their milk to processors. “We operate under very strict guidelines and have the very best system for detection in place,” Stan stated. The FDA has access to all tests conducted by ODAFF.
The propaganda war on raw milk versus pasteurized will always coexist. As with any dairy or food product, let the buyer beware applies here and that is to be educated. “I think it is a great idea that consumers go directly to the farm to purchase their dairy so they can do their own visual determination and inspection of the farm on whether to buy or not. Healthy cows and overall sanitation of the cows, facility and storage is key to reducing incidences of outbreaks,” urged Stan.
As with any food product, home safety handling and storage of purchased raw milk also must be maintained to avoid rapid growth of bacteria.
